You can learn a lot about productivity from a home renovator. We had some work done in our basement recently. It’s the kind of work that anyone might do. We wanted to fix up an unfinished room, the size of a bedroom. We needed it because we rented out our house for...
300 kids come to our house every Halloween. Instead of candy they get stickers and a “magic scroll”, a rolled up poem that I write every year. This year, my son inspired me to write ”The Cure For Boredom.” I’m passionate about inspiring people...
When do most employees work overtimes at the office? Do they go in early or do they stay late after work? If you want to catch them, what would be the best time to find them? Data from our work measurement studies provides some insights. If one considers a “normal”...
Managers spend much of their time doing everything but managing. With all of the daily crises, pressures, and trivial tasks that are thrown at them, it is tough for the typical manager to stay focused on the things that are important. So it is not surprising that...
Administrative activities are a massive time hog for managers. Prior to conducting our time studies, we ask managers in a questionnaire, “What are the most important things you need to do in your job?”. Their responses show that paperwork and administrative tasks are...
We have been collectiong time study data since 1990, and have recently taken an interest in overtime hours. We were interested in what constitutes a typical work week for knowledge workers. Our definition of knowledge workers mostly includes people who work in...
There are many ways that managers add value to the companies they work for. Too bad they only do it for three-fifths of the time. The pie chart below is based on our time and motion studies of 565 different activities measured by managers since 1990. These activities...
Sometimes getting more done means doing less of the stuff that's cluttering your life. This 4-minute podcast combines insights, inspiration, and some wry humor. If you are inspired, then spread the word! Click on the picture to listen. At the end, click...
Time management trainers always encourage you to plan your activities every day. This makes intuitive sense. But what does a time and motion study reveal about planning time? We have conducted numerous time and motion studies since 1990 using our proprietary...
I recently conducted a presentation for the Association of Independent Consultants, highlighting some of my time study research. Independent consultants work on their own providing a range of services from accounting to cost management, coaching, productivity...